Various technologies have been developed to enable hearing-impaired individuals to communicate using telephone communication systems. For example, text telephones, such as Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD), enable deaf, hard of hearing, and speech-impaired individuals to communicate over the telephone with hearing and speaking parties using conventional telephones. In TDD systems, the hearing-impaired person typically uses a telephone teletype keyboard or TTY, a specially equipped device with a keyboard, to type messages and a text display for presenting responses to the caller.
TDD devices typically require a Weitbrecht/Baudot-compatible modem. In general, a computer cannot communicate directly to TDD because each uses a different coding system to transmit messages over telephone lines. Modems and software are available that can be installed on a computer that allow the computer to communicate directly with a Baudot modem and a TDD. However, such configurations do not solve the need of a hearing-impaired person being able to call anyone at anytime.
Telecommunication relay services or dual party relay services enable deaf, hard of hearing, and speech-impaired individuals to employ text telephones for engaging in a communication session over a telephone network with a person who has a conventional voice telephone. Relay services involve a hearing-impaired individual using a keyboard to communicate and a display device to understand what is being said by the other party. The hearing person hears what is being said and uses his/her voice to communicate. A relay operator acts as the interface in this situation. The relay operator relays information from one communication protocol to another. For example, the relay operator types what the hearing person says and sends the text to the hearing-impaired person. The relay operator reads aloud text messages from the hearing-impaired person so that the hearing person can hear the message.
Conventional relay services are limited. For example, the communication from the relay operator to the hearing-impaired individual is limited to the speed at which the relay operator can type what he or she hears from the non-hearing-impaired individual at the other end of the telephone call.
Thus, there is a need for an improved relay system. Further, there is a need to better facilitate the speed and clarity of telephone relay conversations by allowing the relay operator to use sign language that is communicated by video signal to the hearing-impaired individual. Even further, there is a need to utilize network technologies to enable intervention-free video relay services.